By Mark Fordham

Future FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce believes that England should have been told that their bid to host the 2018 World Cup was likely to end in failure.

Northern Irishman Boyce, who replaces Geoff Thompson on the FIFA executive committee in 2011, agreed with the accusation the English bid team were given false hope before losing out to Russia to stage the event in eight years’ time.

"It did appear that England had the best bid,” Boyce told Sky Sports News.

"But it appears to me that FIFA wish to take the event to countries that haven't had it before. If this is their criteria then that should be made clear very early on.

"What I do have a problem with is when people say they are going to vote for a country and don't do that.

"People should be up front and honest and if they are going to vote for a country that's up to them but they shouldn't tell people they will go for them and then not do so."

Shortly after FIFA announced that Russia would host the 2018 World Cup, they also announced that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup.

Both of these bids were voted for at the same time leading to suggestions that votes were traded amongst the executive committee, a suggestion that Boyce doesn’t disagree with.

"Of course, I don't think there is any doubt, human nature being what it is, that a lot of that probably went on,” he added.

"As long as they voted for the country they felt was the best country to host the World Cup then I have no problem with that.

"Russia were always favourites but the criteria needs to be set. I also don't think they should ever have two World Cup bids on the same date again."